Frozen Tears
by Alaynna
Summary: She's dying. He's helpless to save her. How far will Ulrich go to save the one he loves? UxY. Oneshot of the Season 2 episode Cold War.


**Frozen Tears**

I didn't give myself time to think. I saw the tree falling straight towards Ulrich, and I knew what I had to do. That's all there is to it. No heroic thoughts, no self-sacrifice. I just saw danger heading for the one I love and I acted.

"Ulrich! Look out!" I cried. I crashed into him, sending him sprawling out of the way. And then a horrible pressure slammed into me, knocking the breath out of me. A tree had fallen on me, and yet, I was alive. In some ways, X.A.N.A. had saved my life by letting there be snow. If it had been nothing but solid ground, I would have died.

I was stunned, and I couldn't breathe. I lay there for what seemed like forever, gasping for air like a fish fallen on the shore. I wasn't aware of anything until I felt Ulrich at my side, calling my name.

"This is why…I like…bonsais better," I joked faintly.

I was barely conscious of Ulrich and Odd trying to push the tree off me. A well-meaning gesture, but obviously futile. I would have laughed if I could've.

"Forget it," I managed. "It's much too heavy." _Aelita and the fate of the entire city needs you more than I do_. "Go to the factory, that's more important."

I could barely hear them debating above me, until finally, Ulrich said to me, "Hang in there. I'm going to find something to get you out of there."

"Yes," I said weakly, smiling at him encouragingly. But once he had disappeared over the snow banks, I despaired. There was no way the others could make it in time, there was no way Ulrich could lift an entire tree by himself. My thoughts started to scatter like the snow that swirled all around me, bittersweet and numb.

**Ulrich's POV **

She was fading. I could see that as I dragged the heavy chains up to where Yumi lay, trapped, trapped on my account. She'd risked her own life to save mine.

"Yumi!" I called. I wasn't in as much danger as she was now. I didn't have snow piling up around me, unable to get free, and unable to keep myself moving. Her snow goggles had frosted over, and I frantically wiped the coat of ice away.

_Please, let me see her eyes open…_

"Let…me…sleep…" she murmured. I could feel her warm breath on my fingers, even through my gloves. I reached over and shook her gently.

"No!" I blurted out. I'd always heard that feeling sleepy means that you're freezing to death. You can't sleep, or you might not wake up. It was not a cruel death, but Yumi's death was something I couldn't handle. "No, you can sleep later. Okay?" Like she had a choice.

I remembered things from physics class, amazingly. I managed to hook up some chains and pulleys. Maybe, I thought, just maybe, the mechanics of these things would be enough to get Yumi out of there.

Once it was all hooked up, I started pulling with all my might. Everything I had.

Every muscle in my body strained painfully as I pulled. I had to use everything. It was Yumi's life on the line, and I had to get her free at all costs. Sweat formed on my hands and face and soon turned to frost, which I ignored.

I hadn't been pulling for that long when something gave. The chain came loose and I went tumbling to the ground with a yell. The tree hadn't budged, and the chains were freezing. Soon they'd become useless. I'd done all that I could, but it didn't look like I'd be able to save Yumi.

Rage welled up in my throat. It wasn't fair. Yumi shouldn't have to die like this. I threw all my years of soccer into one kick, sending a pile of snow flying. I cursed X.A.N.A. with all I had for doing this to us.

After bending over my knees for a short time, the fury passed away, and determination settled in.

She's not gone yet, I told myself. I need to do all I can, and I might save her yet.

**Yumi**

He was still trying to save me. It was so wonderfully kind and sweet of him. Any idiot could look and see that it was absolutely impossible, but he was trying anyway.

The temperature was dropping at an alarming rate, even though the initial storm was over. I could barely feel anything anymore, and I felt myself nodding off here and there. Every time this happened, I mentally slapped myself. Falling asleep was death.

Suddenly, there was a sharp noise, as frozen metal snapped and gave way, and Ulrich fell to the ground again.

In the part of my mind that was still working, I winced dimly. That sounded like it had hurt.

Ulrich showed no sign of being injured or even winded as he crawled to my side.

"Yumi, stay with me," he pleaded, putting his arms around me.

Just a few hours ago, I would've been thrilled by this, but now, it was getting harder and harder to concentrate, to put one thought together. My mind was getting fragmented and shattered, and I knew I couldn't tell up from down at the current second.

I tried to respond but nothing would come out. I managed a little murmuring noise, hoping that was enough of a response to reassure Ulrich that everything was going to be all right. I needed to tell him this, even if I didn't believe it myself.

After a few hesitant moments, Ulrich wiped a pile of snow off my upper back before tentatively yet gently laying down almost on top of me and keeping his arms around me. I felt tears brim in my eyes. I'd never felt so protected, so loved and sheltered before. Half-dazedly, I gently nestled closer, tucking my head and tilting it up so I could be nearer to him.

I wanted to tell him how much I appreciated him doing all this for me. How much it meant to me that he cared this much for me, even if it was nothing beyond the duty of friendship. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him.

But nothing would come out. I wanted to blame it on the cold, but I knew that was probably not the answer.

**Ulrich**

"Please," I said to her, shivering in the bitter cold. I'm not sure why I said it, it just seemed like the right thing to say. I fumbled for something, anything, that would reassure her. "I…I'm sure Odd's already on Lyoko." Would that comfort her?

I felt vaguely awkward and embarrassed in my position. And yet, it felt so comfortable and right. Especially when -was it my imagination?- she snuggled closer to me. Did it have a higher meaning? My hopes soared, even at a time like this. Was it because she felt the same way I did? Or was it just her natural instincts for seeking warmth and shelter?

We didn't talk for a while after that. Then, out of nowhere, Yumi lifted her head. She didn't try to turn to look at me, almost as if she was hesitating. I took my arm off her, allowing her to speak.

"Leave me," she muttered at last.

I almost started laughing. "You won't get rid of me _that_ easily!"

I could feel her smile underneath me as she lay her head back down against her little spot under my arm. And that was enough for now. We lay together in the snow, both waiting for a miracle to happen.

But it never came. I had already been nearly sick with worry for Yumi when I had tried to free her, and just sitting there and waiting was ten thousand times worse. I moved my arm just slightly, and her head lolled to one side limply. Her eyes were closed underneath her goggles.

My heart almost stopped beating.

_I have to keep her awake… _

"Please, Yumi," I said desperately, ready to use anything to keep her with me. For just a few minutes more… surely Odd and Aelita could get to the tower by then. I cradled her head in my hands, holding it gently between my hands. I let go, watching her head fall limply to the snow. She was falling under the cold's spell. "Don't give up." _Give her a reason to keep living_. "We need you to fight against X.A.N.A."

She didn't respond.

_No! Wake up, Yumi! You have to! You can't die, you can't!_

"T…the world needs you! Your parents need you! Hiroki needs you!"

_No…not Yumi…_

She wasn't responding. Maybe she never would. Tears gathered in my eyes, and I gathered her in my arms and held her limp body close to mine as best I could.

"I…I need you." The tears fell, and froze almost instantly on my face.

_She can't die._

_I love her…_

Why couldn't I have told her when I'd had the chance? I stayed like that for I don't know how long, hoping there was still just one spark of life, a fragment of the fierce, passionate, amazing girl I knew and loved still in her.

And then, just like that, the tear rolled down my face.

I breathed out as sudden warmth flooded through me. The sun shone down brightly, almost tauntingly, melting the cold around us. Maybe now Yumi would be okay.

I got up off Yumi, expecting her to start moving. I stared at her with horror as she didn't respond to the heat.

"Yumi? Yumi?" I shook her, and she didn't move. I pressed my ear against her back, but I couldn't hear a heartbeat.

_Return to the past!_ my mind screamed. My hand flew to my mobile phone, and I frantically tried to enter Jeremie's number, but the stupid thing only flashed once or twice, obviously too frozen to work. "Oh no…"

And in an instant, the reality of it all flooded through me.

"Noooooo!" I screamed, curling up into a little ball and clenching the useless mobile in my fist. This _can't be happening! This can't be real!_ I sat there, screaming with intense grief and sorrow and pain, and rage towards X.A.N.A.

_Why did you kill her?_

I struck the ground with my fist, feeling the phone crunch in my hand. It felt good. I was breathing hard. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing.

_Yumi can't be gone. _

Then I realized her body was free now. The snow was melting, and I could easily pull her out now. I was reaching to get her out at last when a brilliant white light closed in on me, and I gratefully drowned in its intensity.

**((JADE))**

"When snow melts, what does it become? It becomes spring!" –Natsuki Takaya, _Fruits Basket_

_You know the rest of the story (what I'd like to know is why they never acknowledged this event in the show…like shouldn't Yumi have talked and maybe THANKED Ulrich for pretty much saving her rear end? Hmm…chapter 2 idea? Tell me what you think!) _

_I know, I know, the story was crud, and it must've been slightly repetitive of my other story, The Beat of My Heart. (No, I don't have a thing for Yumi dying, I just think it's so romantic when Ulrich rescues her!) And other people have done similar things…but oh well. _

_You can still be super nice to me, Jade, aka the Ultra Reviewer of Everyone's Stories (aka the UROES…or not…), aka the one who reviews ALL OF YOURS! So do unto others, PLEASE! . _

_:gently pokes you with a sporks towards the review button:_

_D _

_I'll love you forever!_


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